


Some Time Away

by RosaleenBan



Series: Time [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic, First Time, Fluff, M/M, Pets, Romance, Wing Kink, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-18 05:45:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/876298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosaleenBan/pseuds/RosaleenBan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel needs help taking care of the Winchesters. Gabriel takes Sam away for a small vacation so Cas can deal with Dean’s needs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 3: Domesticity

**Author's Note:**

> All parts are for Sabriel Week 2013, and each chapter title is the main prompt (though they of course may overlap).
> 
> Canon Divergence because all of this takes place in a vague time after Season 7 but having little to do with Season 8.
> 
> And yes, there will be an eventual Destiel companion piece explaining what Dean and Cas did while Sam and Gabe were away, but that won't happen until after Sabriel Week, and will be posted as a separate fic in the series.

This was not how Sam envisioned life after the Leviathans.

He winced as he stumbled into the dark motel room, one arm each around Dean and Cas for assistance. His right leg was useless; broken most likely.

He had thought that somehow things would get easier – as if that could ever happen. Ever since Dean and Cas had returned from Purgatory and Gabriel had shown back up in the world, things seemed to be getting worse. For the past six months, monsters and demons of all sorts seemed to be hunting them instead of the other way around.

And today – that lake monster was more than they had bargained for. Their research indicated something small, easy. They had the right tools and a battle plan. Cas was there juiced up with Grace in case things got bad.

They didn’t expect the diseased water elemental they had encountered. It was a nasty thing, black and oozing from the pollution in the lake. It had reminded them of Leviathans…

Sam couldn’t get the image of Dean’s expression out of his head as they watched it pull Castiel under. His brother had looked so _broken_ in that moment.

Sam closed his eyes and sat on his bed, concentrating on the pain in his leg instead. A broken leg he could tolerate, but that – well, there would be time enough to deal with Dean later. For now, the elemental was taken care of, and the three of them were safe. They just needed to tend to their injuries.

He heard a rush of wings and opened his eyes; he knew Cas was too exhausted to heal him yet, but he didn’t think their angelic companion would abandon them so soon.

“What’s up, baby bro?” he heard Gabriel ask, and he realized the wings were the archangel’s, not Castiel’s. Under different circumstances, he would have been happy to see him.

“I need your help,” Cas told Gabriel, his gravelly voice somehow both calm and insistent. “Sam has been injured, and I must tend to Dean. Will you take care of him?”

“Hey, I’m fine – ” Dean started to protest, but was cut off by Cas’s glare. Sam would have laughed if his leg wasn’t in so much pain.

Sam looked back at Gabriel and saw the archangel eyeing him. “Why call me?” he asked.

“Does it matter?” Castiel countered. “I can’t heal him, and he needs healing and rest. I can’t trust any other angels with the Winchesters. Will you help us or not?”

Gabriel snapped a chocolate bar into his hand. “Sure, and then I can open a spa for injured hunters. You can send them all to me when you’re tired,” he said sarcastically.

Sam sighed and reached for his knife on the nightstand. Although Gabriel had helped them before on hunts, there was no reason to trust that he would help them now.  If Gabriel wasn’t going to heal him, he would have to cut off his jeans and have Dean and Cas set the bone by hand.

Just stretching across the bed jostled him enough to send a spark of sharp pain up his leg, and he involuntarily clenched his teeth and hissed in air.

The sound got Gabriel’s attention, and suddenly the angel was kneeling in front of him. “Hey, now. I’m sorry, Sammy,” Gabriel said soothingly. “I didn’t see how bad it was. Here.”

Gabriel ghosted his fingers over Sam’s leg, and Sam could feel the now-familiar outpouring of Grace numbing the pain. It was the first time he was healed by the archangel, and it was a novel experience.  Gabriel’s Grace was stronger than Castiel’s, but also more delicate, almost surgical; where Castiel would have overwhelmed his senses like lightening, Gabe only touched the afflicted areas. It had a twittering, laughing timbre to it as it rushed over the broken bones and muscles, reminding him of the trickster’s personality.

“Thanks,” Sam said gratefully when Gabriel took his hand away.

“You look like Hell, Sammich,” Gabriel told him softly.

Sam rolled his eyes in answer. “This life will do that to you.”

Gabriel turned around to look at Castiel and Dean.  “R&R time kids,” he told them in an authoritative tone. “Sam and I are going to take a little vacation for a few days so he can recover. No hunting til we get back – and I’ll know if you do.”

“Now wait just a minute –” Dean started to protest, but Cas silenced him with another _look_. Sam was lucky Dean was too occupied to notice when he actually did let out a snort of laughter this time.

“I believe my brother is right, Dean,” Castiel said. “You and Sam haven’t taken a day off in over a month, and rarely in the months before that since we returned. You could both use the rest.”

“Then we can take some time together. There’s no reason for Sam to go off God knows where with this trickster.”

“Archangel,” Castiel corrected him. “And ally. I trust Gabriel. Sam will be safe with him.”

“And you? What do you think, Sam?” Dean asked, looking to Sam for support.

Sam pressed his lips together as he thought about it. There really was no reason for him to leave with Gabriel if it was just rest they were after – not that he really thought he would get much here, with nightmares still plaguing him, but that was immaterial.

But if he was gone, it would give Dean and Castiel time alone to deal with all the crap that had happened to them in purgatory. Maybe even give them a chance to let that _profound bond_ evolve from meaningful stares into something a little more fulfilling for both of them.

“I’ll go with Gabriel,” he said decisively. “As long as Cas can keep you company here for a few days.”

“That’s the ticket, kiddo. I knew you could listen if you put your mind to it!” Gabriel said patronizingly.

“Don’t push your luck,” Sam told him with a glare.

“Thank you, Sam, Gabriel,” Castiel said.

“Anytime, bro,” Gabriel said.

Sam just smiled at him, and then turned to Dean. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to have some fun for a day or two.”

Dean smirked. “Yeah, cause us splitting up has always turned out to be nothing but laughs before.”

“Relax! Angels have this under control,” Gabriel said. “Sammy and I will be back in a couple of days. Have fun while we’re out!”

He snapped his fingers, and Sam felt the weird _shift_ in space that always happened when they traveled by Angel Air. Again, Gabriel’s power was more subtle than Castiel’s, so Sam’s stomach didn’t plummet as they landed.

“Where are we?” Sam asked, looking around at a large bedroom. It was rich, but not opulent, with deep wine colored walls and unadorned mahogany furniture. The only real conceit was a large canopy bed with wine colored curtains. It certainly wasn’t what Sam had expected when he went off alone with Gabriel, but Sam wasn’t complaining.

“In my house, in a guest room,” Gabriel told him.

“You have a house?”

“Mansion, really. There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” Gabriel said, waving his expressive eyebrows. “This seemed like just the right place for you to get some rest. You really do look like Hell.”

“Thanks,” Sam said, not sure if he should be sincere or sarcastic, but just sounding exhausted in any case.

“Anytime,” Gabriel told him jovially. “Go ahead, get some sleep. I’ll be downstairs whenever you wake up.”

For a moment he looked at Sam, head tilted as though he were trying to decide on something. And then with another snap, he was gone, leaving Sam alone in the room.

Never one to fall asleep in unfamiliar surroundings, Sam looked over the room. It was furnished with only the bed with a nightstand on each side, a large dresser, and a chest at the foot of the bed. The chest turned out to have extra blankets, not that Sam thought he would need them, and the nightstands’ drawers were empty. One door led to an ensuite bathroom, and the other led to a dark hall.

In the dresser he found clean clothes, all in his size, actually. Not that surprising, given the Gabriel’s power, but he appreciated the thought. He changed into soft blue and green plaid flannel pajamas, a luxury he never had in his world of motel rooms and cheap clothing, before crawling into the bed.

It was as comfortable as he could ask for, with plush pillows and clean, soft sheets. He was certain that the strangeness of a comfortable bed would keep him awake, but it was only a few minutes before he was slipping into sleep.

He tried to stave it off. After all, the bed was warm and snug, and he was safe here. Gabriel was downstairs, which made him happier than he had any right to be. Once he got to sleep, though, it would be nothing but nightmares again. He’d had them every night since the Cage; even though Cas had taken the worst of it from him, he had still seen too much in his life to ever sleep soundly.

It was a losing fight. It had been a long day, and even angelic healing took a lot out of the body. No matter how much he wanted to, he was not going to stay awake. Suddenly, in the space between one breath and the next, he fell into sleep.

 

…

 

Sam didn’t know how long he slept, but from the light pouring in through the bedroom window he assumed he had gotten through the night.

A full night’s sleep, nightmare free. That was new. Maybe he should ask Gabriel to bring him here regularly; real sleep would do wonders for his research and hunting skills.

After using the ensuite, Sam found a pair of blue slippers just under the bed – again in his size – so he decided to go ahead downstairs in pajamas instead of changing.

The bedroom itself was situated in the middle of a long hall with several closed doors, and a stairway at the very end. The stairs opened up to a large sitting room attached to an open kitchen, where Sam found Gabriel already busy.

“You know how to cook?” Sam asked, watching Gabriel expertly juggle three pans over the gas range. The angel was wearing slippers and flannel pants similar to Sam’s, but only a white ribbed undershirt on top. Sam took a moment to appreciate the lines of the archangel’s back and arms as he moved through the kitchen – at least until he realized said archangel could probably hear Sam’s thoughts if he wanted to, and it was probably a bad idea to think things like that around him.

“I’ve only been living with you humans for, what? A couple of millennia? I’ve picked up a skill or two over the years,” Gabriel told him. He tossed a couple of pieces of bacon onto the floor, and Sam smiled to see a large Irish wolfhound and a sleek white and black terrier rush out from where they were hiding behind the breakfast bar to gobble them up.

“But can’t you just snap things up?” Sam asked.

“Not as much fun, Sammy,” Gabriel told him, throwing a smile over his shoulder. “How did you sleep?”

“Well,” Sam told him. “Really well, actually. No nightmares.”

 He sat down at the breakfast bar, and a moment later Gabriel served up two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns. “You get them a lot?” Gabriel asked. He poured two cups of coffee and brought them over before sitting on the stool next to Sam.

“Thanks,” Sam said, accepting his cup gratefully. It smelled wonderful. “I get them most nights. Not as bad as I used to, but still enough to keep me up.”

Gabriel frowned. “You should have told me. I could have helped.”

“You’ve helped enough,” Sam told him truthfully. Gabe had already gotten Sam and Dean out of quite a few sticky situations since his resurrection, and this vacation was icing on the cake. “Besides, how could I know you’d help? You were pretty annoyed at Cas for asking you to help last night.”

“Nah, I just like to play with my brother. He’s easy,” Gabriel told him with a smirk. “I thought you knew I’d help you guys if you just ask. Not that you Winchesters are very good at asking for help with anything.”

“Genetics,” Sam said with a smile. “Thanks for breakfast – and for not making something too sweet.”

“No problem, Samsquatch,” Gabriel said, pouring a healthy portion on syrup onto his own potatoes and bacon. Sam stopped himself from cringing as the syrup seeped into the hash browns; to each their own, especially if they were the ones making breakfast.

He looked down to see the wolfhound’s head resting pathetically on his lap, as the terrier ran around the legs of their stools. “And who are these guys? You’ve never introduced us before.”

“The beggar in your lap is Vincent, and the little one is Salvador,” Gabriel told him. His affection for the two was apparent in his voice.

“Like Van Gogh and Dali?” Sam asked, tipped off by the second name. He reached down to stroke the wiry fur on Vincent’s head.

“Exactly,” Gabriel told him. Sam glanced over at the archangel and saw a real smile on his face. Sam was surprised to see how clearly the angel showed that he loved these canines.

“How old are they?” Sam asked.

“I don’t really know. Salvador has been around here for a few years – I guess I found him about a year before I met you two the first time, but he was an adult when I did. Kali took him in for me when I was gone, so he’s had some adventures. Vincent only joined us when I got back; I don’t think he’s more than a couple of years old.”

Sam broke a piece of bacon in half and dropped one have to the floor, then gave the other half to Vincent.

“That’s the way to get them to love you forever,” Gabriel told him. “Ever have a dog?”

Sam smiled sadly. “Twice, but never for long. I picked up a stray when I ran away from home once as a kid, but that only lasted a couple of weeks. And then I actually hit one with the Impala when Dean was in purgatory. She didn’t have anyone, and the vet couldn’t keep her there indefinitely, so I took her home to my motel room. I had her almost a year, but she stayed behind with Amelia when I started hunting again. I always wanted one, but we couldn’t keep them with our life – and Dean doesn’t allow dogs in his baby.”

 “Looks like my guys have taken a liking to you,” Gabriel said. “You can come here to visit them sometimes if you like. They’d like some company besides me sometimes.”

“Yeah?” Sam asked with a smile.

“Mi casa es su casa, Samster,” Gabriel told him with a blinding grin.

“Thanks,” Sam said, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically shy. He changed the subject, but kept running his hand through Vincent’s fur.  “What do you think our brothers are doing with their day off?”

Gabriel waited until Sam was chewing a mouthful of eggs before saying, “Fucking like bunnies, I hope.”

Sam nearly choked. Which, of course, was exactly what the trickster wanted. “I do not need to hear that about Dean!” he said once he had swallowed his food.

“But I bet you were thinking the same thing when you agreed to come here,” Gabriel teased.

“Not that explicitly,” Sam argued. He bit into his bacon – which was perfectly browned and crunchy – and savored it for a moment before going on. “And anyway, I don’t think it would happen. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two more clueless people – or angels – in my life.”

“Maybe we’ll have to fix that when we get you back,” Gabriel suggested archly.

“No,” Sam told him. “I want absolutely nothing to do with my brother’s love life. And anything you do will just piss him off.”

“Come on, Sammy, it’ll be fun!”

“Not budging on this one, Gabe,” Sam told him. He bit into another piece of bacon surely, as if to punctuate his stance.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself,” Gabriel told him.

“Don’t! That’ll be worse! Can you imagine Dean’s reaction to _you_ budding into his relationships?” Sam argued. “Just leave them be. They’ll get there eventually”

Gabriel laughed dryly. “Even glaciers move if you give them enough time?”

“Something like that,” Sam agreed happily.

When Gabriel rolled his eyes, Sam decided not to answer. Instead, they finished their meals in an easy silence, both of them occasionally tossing scraps to Gabriel’s dogs.

“What are we doing today?” He finally asked as he brought his dish to the sink. He started collecting the dirty plates and pans from around the kitchen to wash.

“Not chores, for one,” Gabriel said. With a snap, suddenly all the dishes, including the one that had been in his hand, were gone – cleaned and put away, Sam assumed. “Depends on how you feel. We could hike on around the grounds if you’re feeling active, or we can hang out here. I’ll even show you the library if you promise not to do any research.”

“You have a library?” Sam asked, thrilled by the prospect. He could feel his eyebrows rising and his eyes going round.

“What is this, Beauty and the Beast?” Gabriel asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so excited before.”

“To be fair, I don’t have a lot to be excited about in this life,” Sam said, though he knew he was beaming. Dogs and a private library. How could a day get any better?

“Alright, come on, then. We’ll go see the library.” Although he said it with a sigh, Gabriel didn’t do a very good job convincing Sam he was exasperated, as he didn’t bother to conceal his smile. 

The four of them – angel, human and two dogs – crossed the living room and passed through another hall to a large set of double doors.

“Should I close my eyes?” Sam teased as Gabriel reached to open them.

“Only if you want me to stock the wardrobe upstairs with nothing but blue dresses and white aprons,” Gabriel told him with a wink. “I refuse to play the Beast.”

“Alright, eyes open! I’m looking now!” Sam said quickly.

Gabriel opened the door to reveal a huge room lined top to bottom with books. Off to the right were rows and rows of shelves, going further back than Sam could make out. To the left, Sam saw a copse of overstuffed couches and chairs for reading enclosed by a glass barrier. Beyond the seating area was another set of stairs leading up to what he could only assume was more books.

“Stay downstairs for today,” Gabriel told him. “It’s only fiction and poetry down here; older stuff and nonfiction are on the other floors.”

“Floors? Plural?” Sam asked.

“Only five,” Gabriel told him, “plus this one.”

“You’ve been holding out on us,” Sam accused.

“You never asked for help,” Gabriel reminded him.

“Yeah, you keep telling me that,” Sam said

“Because it’s true,” Gabriel told him. “Go on, pick something out. The guys and I will be in the reading room.”

“What are you going to do while I read?” Sam asked.

Gabriel held out a hand, and was suddenly holding a copy of _Running with Scissors_. “I have my own.”

“Alright,” Sam nodded before going out to find something, trying not to remark on how surreal this all was.

The library would be overwhelming, but Sam already had a list of books on his phone that he wanted to read when he got the chance – a few of them light, fun books that Gabriel would approve of for his vacation. A few minutes later, he walked into the reading room with _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ (original printing) in hand.

He smiled at the scene before him. Gabriel had put his book down on an end table and was crouched on the floor, tossing a couple of balls to the dogs, who were running around the enclosure excitedly. Gabriel was completely engrossed in his companions, talking to them and cheering them on. He didn’t even notice when Sam walked in.

“Hey guys,” Sam said, getting Gabriel’s attention as he sat down on one couch.

“That was quick.” Gabriel plopped down on the same couch and stretched out so his head was resting in Sam’s lap. The dogs must have been excellently trained, because they took that as their cue to lie down together in front of Gabriel.

“Uh, hey there,” Sam said awkwardly, not quite sure why he had a lap full of archangel, but not about to argue about it either. He was rewarded with a saucy smile.

“Tell me you’ve read that before,” Gabriel said when he saw what Sam was holding.

“Actually, I haven’t. Not much time for pleasure reading, you know?” Sam said. It was true – he really had been meaning to read it for ages, but had just never managed it.

“No time? Don’t you two drive for days at a time?”

Sam laughed. “Yes, with AC/DC blasting most of the way,” he reminded him.

“Touché,” Gabriel said. He snapped and there was suddenly a bowl of chocolates nestled on the couch between him and the back cushions. “Better get to it then. That was one of the best books written in the twentieth century.”

“Awesome,” Sam said, picking up the book. Gabriel, for his part, lifted his book up in front of his face, blocking him from Sam’s view.

Sam paused before opening his, and then put it down again instead.

“Gabriel?” he said hesitantly.

“Hmm?” Gabriel asked, lowering his book to look at Sam.

“Why are you doing this? You must have more important things to do besides hanging out with me.”

“Actually, I can’t think of a thing more important than doing a favor for my favorite little brother,” Gabriel told him.

Sam raised his eyebrow at that. “Cas just asked you to heal me, not to take me away and entertain me for a couple of days.”

Gabriel sighed and lifted himself up on one arm so he was almost eye level with Sam. “Listen, I like you Winchesters. You were the only ones fighting to keep humanity alive, and you managed to do it without killing any archangels – but I liked you two before that. And you’re my favorite Winchester, so if you need something that I can provide, it’s yours. Just ask.”

Then he gave Sam a tight lipped smile before lowering himself back down onto Sam’s lap and lifting his book over his face, obviously signaling that the conversation was over.

Sam smiled as he opened his book to the first page. As he read the first few paragraphs, he gingerly started to stroke Gabriel’s hair. The archangel leaned into the touch, emboldening Sam to continue to play with the blond locks as they read, sleeping dogs at their feet.


	2. Day 4: Porn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's where things get x-rated. I chose to use the "angelic powers" kink - not that I got particularly kinky, but this is definitely a wing!kink piece (which are angelic powers, right?). Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now edited! Yay! Proper grammar and mostly typo-free. :D

That night, Sam found himself on the floor of a large living room, wrestling on the plush rug with Vincent. Like the rest of the house, the room was rich yet simple: it held a couple of large couches, a huge LCD TV, and a large fireplace and mantle, but lacked any ostentatious adornments. Sam had already known that Gabriel appreciated having the best and didn’t need to show it off, but this home embodied that trait.

Gabriel had a roaring fire going in the fireplace, and was currently watching a horror parody movie, Salvador curled up on his lap, drinking in his easy affection.

The whole situation was surreal; Sam had never had anything like a real family life, never mind this idyllic scene.

He playfully swatted at Vincent’s back, sending the pup into circles as he tried to catch Sam’s hand. He hoped Gabriel had been sincere about letting him come visit his dogs, because Sam was pretty sure he was already in love with this giant.

The whole day had been surreal, really. They had lazed about in the library for hours before getting dressed any having lunch. Afterwards, they had hiked through the woods around Gabriel’s house, tossing sticks for the dogs to chase. Sam didn’t even know where they were – if they were even in America – but the deciduous forest was familiar and scenic. About halfway down the trail, Gabriel had silently grabbed Sam’s hand. They had walked like that the whole way back, carrying on their conversation as though nothing had changed.

And maybe it hadn’t. Sam knew he had been admiring the archangel since his resurrection; honestly, he liked Gabriel since he had stood up to Lucifer for them, but then he had thought he was late to act upon that attraction. Maybe he and Gabe were playing the same sad game Dean and Cas seemed to specialize in.

He was about to dive in and paw at Vincent again, but the wolfhound chose that moment to walk up to him and start licking his face instead.

“Hey, now, what’s up, buddy?” he asked, trying to cover his face and stroke Vincent’s head and neck at the same time.

“That’s how he tells you he’s tired,” Gabriel told him. “You must have worn him out.”

“Aw, poor guy,” Sam said, sitting on his heels and scratching behind Vincent’s ears. That had the double benefit of pleasing the greyhound and getting him to stop licking. “We’ll play again tomorrow. Go get some water.”

Obstinate as his owner, Vincent decided he wanted to cuddle instead. He hoped onto the couch and stretched out, putting his head on Gabriel’s leg and sniffing pathetically at Salvador. Sam smiled at the picture the three of them made, wishing he had a camera.

Instead, he headed to the love seat to sit down, needing a break himself.

“Nu-uh,” Gabriel said, reaching out to grab Sam’s hand. “There’s room for you here, too.”

“Where?” Sam asked, letting the archangel pull him down to lay behind Vincent nonetheless. Not that he had much choice – angelic strength doesn’t exactly bend to human will.

It was a tight squeeze, but he managed to fit between Vincent and the back of the couch, his head propped up on one arm and resting on Gabriel’s chest. In another surprisingly considerate gesture, Gabriel had chosen or created an exceptionally long couch, so even in this position Sam could stretch out comfortably.

“There,” Gabriel told him once he was settled. “Now watch the movie. This is the good part.”

Ever the Trickster, he and Sam had different ideas of ‘good parts.’ Girls falling into wood chippers were never good in Sam’s opinion, though he had to admit she kind of deserved it.

As the movie progressed, Sam wondered if he should ask Gabriel what was going on, but he thought the better of it. He thought he probably knew.

And besides, he was enjoying this. His top arm was thrown over Vincent’s back, slowly petting the sleeping dog.  At some point, Gabriel snapped up a couple bowls of popcorn – butter for Sam and caramel for him. The only thing that was missing to make this feel like a home was Dean and Cas on the other couch.

Really, he was content to lie there and soak up the heat of the dog and angel as they watched the movie – which really was pretty funny, even if it wasn’t the type of thing Sam would usually choose to watch. He was actually disappointed to see the credits roll, knowing they would have to get up.

“Penny for your thoughts, Samasaurus?” Gabriel offered.

Sam looked up sheepishly when he realized he was staring off into space. The TV was off and Salvador was already down and rushing around on the floor without Sam noticing. “Just thinking of how much I’m enjoying myself here,” he said honestly.

That earned him a sweet smile from Gabriel. “Well, what did you expect, hanging out with me?” he asked.

“Actually?” Sam asked, sitting up and letting Vincent jump down to follow his friend. “I was expecting something a bit more outrageous. A couple days on a desert island with only native women for company or something.”

“Would you prefer that?” Gabriel asked, and Sam could see a tight frown threatening the edges of his grin.

“Not at all. I like this – I never had a house or dogs, or days off to relax in our own home growing up. It’s nice to share yours, let me pretend for a few days,” he told the angel. Sam tilted his head, looking at Gabriel for a long moment. “That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? You knew…”

“I wondered when you’d figure that out,” Gabriel said.

“So all of this –?” he asked, gesturing to the house.

“It’s real. It’s mine. I have a few places I hole up in, and this is my favorite because of the guys. Vincent needs the space,” Gabriel told him. “I thought you’d like it, too. Moose and wolfhound; it’s really designed for giants, you know?”

Sam laughed. “Remnant of your Norse days?”

“Actually, that was a different Loki,” Gabriel told him. “There are a few of us Tricksters. He and I have a lot in common, including family problems, so I’ve been filling in for him while he’s been on vacation these last few centuries.”

“No checkered past of giantesses and horses?” Sam asked.

“Yes to the giantesses, no to the horses,” Gabriel told him with a smirk.

“But you’re so small!” Sam teased.

“Not where it counts,” Gabriel said with a wink.

“I don’t even want to know,” Sam said, though he knew full well that slight things like physics and geometry didn’t matter to archangels. It was more fun to tease Gabriel though.

And that was something else he’d been missing in his life: fun. Gabriel was the only one of their little troop who ever went out of his way to look for it anymore. It was one of the things that had fed his attraction to the trickster.

Gabriel started to stand up. It was late; once they left this room, he would probably insist that Sam get some rest and their day would be over.

“So what you said this morning, did you mean it?” Sam asked, impulsively grabbing Gabriel’s hand to pull him back down.

“What are you talking about? I said a lot of things this morning,” Gabriel said slowly. “If it was about cooking being fun, well, yeah, that was right. But the library? Way more than five floors. Not sure how many I have crammed into that pocket universe anymore.”

Sam rolled his eyes, though now a part of him wanted to just rush to the library and explore. “No, about just having to ask,” he explained.

Gabriel looked at Sam, searching his eyes for something. Sam held contact, and eventually Gabriel said, “Yeah. Absolutely. What do you need?”

Sam took a deep breath, wondering if he should just back out now. He thought he read all the signs right, and Gabriel wasn’t exactly the type to be insulted if he was wrong – though Sam probably wouldn’t hear the end of the teasing from Gabriel or Dean.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Gabriel’s. Tentatively at first, but with more force when Gabriel didn’t pull away. After a few seconds, he bought his hand up to the hair he had been playing with all morning, pulling Gabriel forward and deepening the kiss with a questing tongue. Gabriel let him explore for a few long seconds before pulling back.

“Well, that’s one way to ask for something,” Gabriel said, still showing a bit of surprise.

Sam could feel his cheeks flush as he looked down at the couch. God, he felt more like the kid Dean had pulled out of Sanford than a grown hunter. “Winchester thing. We prefer actions.”

And that made Gabriel laugh. “Yeah, I think I got that.”

Then Gabriel’s hand was in Sam’s hair, pulling him into a deep, searching kiss. “What are you asking for, Sam?” he asked softly, using Sam’s real name for once, when they broke apart.

“I don’t know,” Sam told him. “You.”

“You got me,” Gabriel told him. Sam smiled and kissed the angel again, not sure how to handle the flood of warm emotions those words created in him. It had been a long time since he wanted something like this before.

“Bedroom?” Sam asked before kissing his way down Gabriel’s throat to worry his collarbone.

Gabriel snapped, and suddenly they were in a soft bed even larger than the one Sam had slept in the night before.

Sam didn’t have time to see more than that, as he was suddenly pressed into the pillows with a very insistent kiss.

Not that he minded.

Kissing back, he started running his hands over Gabriel’s back, insistently pushing up his shirt to run his fingers over the warm skin of his back. The archangel leaned into the touch like a cat before lowering his head to kiss down Sam’s neck.

And wow. That was one skilled tongue. All their clothes were still on, and Sam was already moaning, loud and deep.

That wouldn’t do. Sam pulled at Gabriel’s shirt, and the angel pulled away just a few inches, just enough to lift up his hand to _snap_ –

Sam caught the hand before he could angelically disrobe them. “No,” he panted. “Not this time – let me –”

He pulled the shirt all the way off of Gabriel, revealing a smooth, surprisingly muscular chest and a stomach with just the slightest hint of paunch around the middle.

“That mean there’s a next time?” Gabriel asked in his ear as he leaned in to pull off Sam’s flannel.

“Mmm,” Sam hummed, responding to Gabe’s lips on his neck again. “Hope so,” he managed.

He opened Gabriel’s jeans and pushed them down, not at all surprised to see the angel going commando. With a sure motion, he grabbed at the angel’s cock, timing his first stroke with a bite to his ear.

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Gabe asked with a chuckle. He pulled Sam’s undershirt up and off before dipping his head further down to lick at Sam’s collarbone.

“I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t,” Sam said knowingly. And it was true – he knew Gabriel well enough to know that.

Gabriel just smirked, pulling at the buttons on Sam’s jeans. He pulled them and his boxers down in one swift motion, and this time when he kissed Sam, it was with real urgency.

Sam kissed back and moved his hands to pull on Gabriel’s hips, needing him closer.  He closed his eyes as he rubbed against the smaller man, moaning at the shared heat.

“Fuck me?” Sam asked, begged.

“Thought you’d never ask, Sambo,” Gabriel said with a smirk. This time Sam let him snap up a tube of lube before he reached down to put Sam’s ankles over his shoulders.

Gabriel bent down and distracted Sam with his tongue and teeth on Sam’s nipples before his now lubed fingers began to play with his ass, slowly entering and stretching him. It only took a moment before Gabriel found _that_ spot, and tendrils of pleasure raced through over his nerves like lightening.

“Please – Gabe –” Sam moaned, arching into Gabriel’s mouth. It had been a long time since Sam had done this – since he had trusted someone enough to let them do this – and he didn’t realize how much he missed it.

“Not yet,” Gabriel said petulantly. “I’m having fun.”

He added another finger – a third, Sam thought, and when had he started with the second? – and Sam couldn’t help pushing back and grinding against his knuckles. He needed _more._

 “Tch, tch, so impatient, aren’t we?” Gabriel teased, twisting and scissoring his fingers inside Sam. Sam could see his other hand lightly stroking his own cock. “I could come from this, you know. Watching you, so desperate, so turned on. Listening to those sounds.”

“Gabe,” Sam said warningly.

“Oh, all right,” Gabriel said, trying to sound put out but failing miserably. Even now, he couldn’t help making everything a joke. Somehow Sam found that sexy, too.

The angel pulled his fingers away and shifted so he was kneeling between Sam’s legs, the head of his cock just brushing against his entrance. He smirked knowingly. “Are you sure you want this, Sam?”

“Now, Gabriel, please!” Sam begged.

Then Gabriel pushed into him with one long, slow stroke, burying in and just holding himself there. Sam closed his eyes and sighed as he became accustomed to the extra stretch.

He heard the flutter of wings that usually heralded an angel’s travel, but Gabriel was still there, and even Cas had enough social grace not to intrude on this.

“Gabe?” he asked hoarsely.

“Open your eyes, Sammy,” Gabriel told him.

Sam did without hesitation, and was shocked at what he saw. Behind Gabriel – or extending from his back, really – were six perfect golden wings, things no human should ever see. “How?” he breathed, pretty sure that his eyes were not in fact burning out from the vision.

“Later. Enjoy now,” Gabriel told him.

With angelic strength, he used one arm to pull Sam up so he was as close as he could be in this position, and then he started to _move_ in him. It was all Sam could do to raise his arms and grab onto Gabriel’s shoulders, sides – _wings._

They were warm and soft to the touch, but strong and unyielding beneath the feathers. Unlike a bird, the feathers shifted easily, giving Sam access to the skin beneath.

When he ran his fingers over it, Gabriel threw his head back and moaned, moving faster, almost uncontrolled in Sam.

That was all Sam needed. He dug his fingers in and held on to Gabriel’s wings as he came, his dick untouched.

Gabriel came a moment later, pulling Sam closer as he did so, enveloping him in arms and wings before letting them both fall to the bed.

It was a long time before Sam could speak again, but when he did they were still wrapped in that golden cocoon of feathers, Gabriel sprawled over his stomach and chest, their legs entwined. Gabriel had already snapped them clean, and Sam was close to falling asleep. There were too many questions nagging at him, though, keeping him awake. One in particular.

“Are those really your wings?” Sam asked when he finally caught his breath.

“Really? This is your pillow talk?” Gabriel asked, lifting his head to look at Sam with one eyebrow raised incredulously.

Sam frowned at him insistently, though he knew Dean usually called that look a ‘pout.’

Whatever it was, it made Gabriel smile indulgently. “Yes, they’re really my wings, the way these are really my hands, or this is really my face,” he said, lifting one hand and wiggling his fingers to demonstrate.

“But those are part of your vessel. A vessel wouldn’t have wings like that,” Sam protested, trying to figure him out.

“Home grown DIY project, Samsquatch,” Gabriel explained. “I’ve had this vessel for centuries – almost a millennium. I’ve made a few important upgrades, and one of them was finding a way to stretch my wings without throwing up a giant flare to alert every angel in the Host where I was.”

“Just manifesting your wings would do that?” Sam asked. “But Cas –”

“Isn’t an archangel,” Gabriel finished for him.

Sam thought on that, weighing the implications. Of course he knew archangels were the most powerful beings below God – or, gods, depending on the god in question. But something about Gabriel’s very _presence_ being so conspicuous made that hit home for Sam in a way it hadn’t before when he thought of the Trickster.

He reached up and stroked one large primary, noting how Gabriel shivered at the touch. “So it’s like I’m actually touching your wings?”

“Metaphysically speaking, you are,” Gabriel told him. 

“Cool,” Sam said, continuing to stroke the wings.

Gabriel lowered himself back down to Sam’s chest, nuzzling his pecs and making little happy sighs whenever Sam’s fingers met a particularly sensitive spot.

“These are erogenous zones for you, aren’t they?” Sam mused out loud, not really expecting an answer. “Do you take them out whenever you have sex?”

“Not usually,” Gabriel said contentedly. “Most of my partners don’t know I’m an angel.” He shifted his head to place a small kiss on Sam’s chest before settling back down, and Sam couldn’t help smiling at him.

“I like them,” Sam said. “They’re – awesome, I think is the best word. In the traditional sense, awe inspiring, not how Dean uses it.”

“Do you always talk about your brother after sex? Cause I’m trying to enjoy my afterglow here,” Gabriel snarked, though Sam could see a smile on his lips.

“Sorry,” Sam apologized sheepishly. 

“Relax,” Gabriel said. “Go to sleep. We need to head back to both of our brothers tomorrow; you’ll need your strength.”

Already? Sam frowned; he had thought Gabriel had wanted this to be more than just a one-time thing, too. But if he already wanted to send him back to Dean and their hunting life…

Gabriel lifted his head again. “I said relax. I can _feel_ you thinking like that – and no, I’m not reading your mind, you’re just really obvious.”

“Sorry,” Sam repeated, willing his muscles to relax.

“Better,” Gabriel said, lowering his head again.

Despite his worry, Sam found himself slipping into a satiated sleep.

“And just because I’m bringing you back to Dean doesn’t mean I’m not bringing you back here for a repeat performance at the first opportunity,” Gabriel said just as Sam was teetering on the edge of consciousness, just loud enough for Sam to hear. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Sam didn’t say anything in response, but he did fully relax, letting one hand drift up to bury in Gabriel’s hair. He fell asleep warm and happy, still enveloped in the angel’s wings.


	3. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I just moved, and as I'm sure you can all imagine, this was shuffled to the bottom of the to-do list.
> 
> This was supposed to be a full chapter, but I decided I couldn't bring us back to Cas & Dean until I'd written the companion Destiel piece to go with this one. So, we'll have our brotherly reunion at the end of that fic, whenever I write it. Hope you all enjoyed this one!

For the second night in a row, Sam didn’t have any nightmares.

He dreamed this time, though, and vividly. His dreams took him all over the world: to vibrant, lush forests and beaches he had heard about, but knew he’d never see. To landmarks he had seen pictures of in school, and places he thought no longer existed.

In each place, darkness and cold flames had threatened on the horizons, skulking around the edges of his vision, slowly moving into the foreground. Each time, just before he recognized the nightmares for what they were and began to panic, there was a flash of gold wings and silver blade before he found himself elsewhere.

He stayed in place longer each time, until he finally found himself stretched out along an endless white beach, in the shadow of a palm tree. He stayed there for a long time, watching crystal blue waves unmarred by fire or shadow.

 

…

 

Sam woke up still in Gabriel’s bed, the archangel lying half on top of him, his head resting on Sam’s shoulder. Those marvelous wings were still present, but tucked out of the way over Gabriel’s shoulders. Sometime in the night, Vincent and Salvador had made their way into the room, and both were curled up around each other at the foot of the bed.

Gabriel was awake – he didn’t need to sleep any more than Cas did, though Sam suspected he might occasionally indulge in it when bored. Currently, he was tracing designs into Sam’s stomach and chest with one hand.

“Seriously, kiddo? What the hell did my brother do to you?” he asked eventually, of course knowing that Sam was awake. The question seemed incongruous with the lazy strokes he was tracing over Sam’s skin.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked. Gabriel knew all about the Cage and everything that had happened before and after.

Gabe lifted his head, eyes narrowed. “I mean, I spent all night fighting off your ‘not so bad anymore’ nightmares, and some of them came close to scaring _me_.”

“Really?” Sam asked, carding one hand through Gabriel’s hair.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘would I say that if it weren’t true?’

“I guess I’m used to them?” Sam asked sheepishly.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, lowered his head and huffed something that sounded suspiciously like, “ _Winchesters._ ”

Sam let himself smile as he continued to stroke Gabriel’s hair, having found it to be his new favorite hobby.

After a long pause, he said, “Thank you. For fighting them off. Or whatever you did to them.”

“I accept payment in the form of baked goods or sexual favors.” Gabriel smiled, and Sam’s chest warmed when he realized it was a shared joke. And that last night would definitely have an encore.

“Well, since I don’t know how to bake –”

“I’ll have to teach you,” Gabriel interrupted.

Sam gave him a scolding frown before continuing. “–I guess you’ll have to make do with sexual favors.” He let one hand wander down the angel’s back and grip his ass meaningfully. “How do you feel about morning blow jobs?”

“Generally, that they’re best when reciprocated,” Gabriel told him with a wink. “But not this morning, Sam-a-lam. We need to get back to our brothers, and I think you’d rather not be blissed out when we get there.”

Sam’s eyebrows rose in surprise – he really didn’t expect any level of thoughtfulness from Gabriel, though after the last few days he supposed he should really rethink that impression – but he didn’t say anything in response.

“Besides, no sex with the kids around,” Gabriel told him, patting the bed next to Sam. As soon as they realized they were wanted, both Vincent and Salvador scampered up the bed to cuddle into his side.

“Fair rule,” Sam said, scratching behind one of Vincent’s massive ears.

His hand wandered to one of Gabriel’s massive wings, fingers just ghosting over the primaries. Gabriel froze at the touch, though Sam could feel his wings shiver beneath his hand.

“Sorry,” he said, ducking his head and pulling back his hand. “I didn’t to –”

“It’s ok,” Gabriel interrupted, covering Sam’s hand with one of his own. Sam expected him to retract his wing-vessels again, but he left them out. “It’s not something I’m used to. Maybe it should be.”

“Maybe,” Sam said shyly. He still wasn’t sure what Gabriel wanted from this, promised repeat performance or no. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, to be honest.

But ever since Gabriel’s return, he had been drawn to the archangel in a way he hadn’t felt since he met Jessica. If nothing else, that made this worth exploring.

Gabriel shifted up on the bed to put one strong arm around Sam’s shoulders, stroking the muscles of his arm.  “I think you probably figured out that I had this planned from the start,” he said with a small, sad grin. He dropped his head into the crook of Sam’s neck. “But I know what you Winchesters are like: all work and bottled up emotions. I’m not looking for anything you can’t give.”

Sam was glad that Gabriel wasn’t looking at his face, because his eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was yet another side of the archangel he had not fathomed existed.

“I think you have me confused for my brother,” Sam said jokingly, running one hand through Gabriel’s hair and down his spine. “He’s the emotionally constipated one. I’m the well adjusted one.”

“Ha,” Gabriel laughed, raising his head so Sam could see his Cheshire grin. “You? Well adjusted?”

“When you take into consideration the life I had to adjust to,” Sam explained teasingly. He bent down to catch Gabriel’s lips in a quick kiss. “I think I can give a lot more than you expect.”

“Really?” Gabriel asked.

“Mmm-hmm,” Sam hummed in agreement. His voice was soft as he continued. “I don’t know exactly where this is going, but I’ve been catching myself thinking about a night like last night since you came back. I’d like to make that a regular thing.”

“Just that?” Gabriel asked, one eyebrow arched high.

“That. This. These past few days,” Sam told him honestly.

“Good. I don’t share my dogs with just anyone, you know,” Gabriel told him, sitting up. Sam took the opportunity to stretch, finding himself still pleasantly sore from the night before.

“I would hope so,” Sam said. He reached out to start scratching Vincent again.

 “Shower?” Gabriel suggested.

“Do we get to share?” Sam asked with a grin.

“You’re insatiable, aren’t you?”

“Is that a yes?”

Gabriel laughed at him, and Sam decided he liked the idea of making a Trickster that mirthful. “Alright, Samsquatch, you’ve convinced me.”

“Win!” Sam laughed as he got off the bed, following Gabriel into the en suite bathroom. He was looking forward to getting used to this.


End file.
